Kendrick:
I made a fixed resistor voltage divider from available resistors 5k1 1/4w 11100k 1/4w.
11100k = 11M1. That can't be right.
For 80V you'd need <1:15 so >80k for the second resistor. That's about 1 mA, good for 80 mW of heat dissipation between the two resistors. 1/4W should do just fine, probably not even getting warm to the touch (try with the power disconnected!)
Why don't you explain what actually happens?